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Multiple-Meaning Words

A multiple-meaning word is spelled and said the same way but means different things: a bat flies at night, and you hit a ball with a bat. Context is the only clue, which is why these words are such good reading practice.

Here are 124 multiple-meaning words from past ClueBy puzzles, each with a real example sentence for every meaning. Use them as a reference, or make a printable worksheet below.

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Students read each sentence and write the missing word. Every word appears in several sentences, each time with a different meaning.

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Multiple-Meaning Words

Name: ____________________Date: __________

Write the missing word in each sentence. Each word is used more than once, with a different meaning each time.

  1. Turn up the ________________ so we can feel the beat.
  2. When a clown is made king, the ________________ becomes a circus.
  3. You can't play pool without a ________________ stick.
  4. A lot of friends came to ________________ goodbye to me.
  5. The ________________ found him guilty of stealing money.
  6. She ________________ him three sons and a daughter.
  7. When I cough twice, that's your ________________ to come into the room.
  8. The museum has ________________ figures of famous people.
  9. Use a drill to ________________ a hole in the wall.
  10. Doesn't taking care of babies ________________ you?
  11. Small ________________ should stay in the harbor during the storm.
  12. What was your ________________ profit last year?
  13. I play ________________ in a jazz band.
  14. The surfers were looking for the perfect ________________.
  15. The ball hit the back of the ________________.
  16. He took the fish out of the ________________.
  17. The moon will ________________ and wane.
  18. The ball is in your ________________.
  19. I am seized by an uncontrollable ________________ of sadness.
  20. Flower arranging is a traditional ________________ in Japan.
  21. The fisherman caught a huge ________________.
  22. He spent years learning his ________________ as a carpenter.
  23. I'll take my ________________ from you.
  24. What's the best way to remove ear ________________?

Sentences from ClueBy, Tatoeba (CC BY 2.0 FR) and Common Voice (CC0). clueby.com

Answer key

  1. bass — low music
  2. court — of a king
  3. cue — for pool
  4. wave — with your hand
  5. court — of law
  6. bore — gave birth
  7. cue — a signal
  8. wax — for sculpting
  9. bore — to drill
  10. bore — to tire
  11. craft — boats
  12. net — after costs
  13. bass — the instrument
  14. wave — of the sea
  15. net — in sport
  16. net — for catching
  17. wax — to grow
  18. court — for sport
  19. wave — a sudden rise
  20. craft — a handicraft
  21. bass — the fish
  22. craft — a skill
  23. cue — a hint
  24. wax — in the ear

Multiple-meaning words list

Tick up to 10 words to build a worksheet with just those words.

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Frequently asked questions

What are multiple-meaning words?

Words with the same spelling and pronunciation but more than one meaning, like bark (of a dog or of a tree) or bank (for money or of a river). You can only tell which meaning is meant from the rest of the sentence.

Are multiple-meaning words the same as homonyms?

Mostly, yes. Teachers often use "multiple-meaning words" and "homonyms" for the same idea. Homophones are different: they sound alike but are spelled differently, like flour and flower.

Are the worksheets free?

Yes. Make and print as many as you like for home or classroom use. Each sheet has its own link, so you can print the same one again.

Where do the words come from?

From past ClueBy puzzles, a daily game where you sort twelve sentences by their missing word. A new puzzle every day adds four more words to this list.

Sentences from ClueBy, Tatoeba (CC BY 2.0 FR) and Common Voice (CC0). clueby.com